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Ways to lower your expenses/best deals (expats in Switzerland)?

Ameerah Arjanee

Hello everyone! I’m a content writer for Expat Magazine, and we’re working on an article featuring expats’ top tips for finding great deals in their host countries. With the cost of living on the rise, we’d love to hear your strategies for saving money and stretching your budget. What are your go-to tips for lowering expenses without sacrificing quality of life? Thank you in advance for sharing with us.

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danielfont

@Ameerah Arjanee

Hi everyone, I have moved to Switzerland last june'25, and there are some of my tips for saving, in the first days here:

  1. togoodtogo app: I use to utilize the app for food in our closest supermarches. You can save money and get quality food.
  2. do a list, always, before going to supermarché.
  3. if you re close to France, there is sometimes half-price. Drive to!
  4. You have friends visiting you by car? ask them to bring you dry food, oil, or other food hard to find here.
  5. good quality? visit farms near your home, they offer healthy food with good prices..

johnv50

Most grocery chains reduce prices on items with short "sell by date".

COOP reduces prices by 25%, 40% or even 50%.  Deduction stickers are attached during the lunch hour.

Denner, Lidl and Aldi have smaller reductions and stickers are attached early in the morning.

Your local stores may have a different schedule.

To take advantage of the deals, you may need a freezer.

VJCH

Adding to what others have said about grocery shopping, buying the "budget" supermarket brand  is significantly cheaper for relatively the same product.

SBB sometimes has deals on day passes that can go as low as CHF 40.

And one tip that makes me save a lot of money: cooking is always cheaper than eating out :)